Confused Hearts
by random-riter
Summary: The now seventeen-year-old Pines twins are back in Gravity Falls for their usual yearly vacation. Things are going well, until Mabel notices Pacifica at the mall, and begins to see the blonde girl in a whole new light. Now faced with new, confusing feelings, and unsure of how to deal with them, will the Pines girl ever be able to face Pacifica again?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! For anyone who actually cared, sorry I haven't written anything recently. I got distracted, then kinda forgot about it, so I apologize for that. As for the SVTFOE story that I started but never finished, that one probably isn't going to get written. Forgot where I was going with the story so, again, sorry about that. But I digress. Here's my first story in quite some time. Hope you enjoy it!**

Seventeen-year-old Mabel Pines paced around the attic of the Mystery Shack, nervous and unsure of herself, which was definitely not normal given her typically spunky and energetic nature. But something had been plaguing her thoughts for a while. Truthfully, the girl had thought about it more than once over the years, but recently, the last couple days to be exact, she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

It had been a few years since the events of Weirdmageddon. Gravity Falls had recovered and was back to functioning in its usual, not-quite-normal ways. Every summer since the almost-apocalyptic event, Dipper and Mabel Pines had made the trip up to the small Oregon town to visit their friends. This summer in particular was special, since Grunkles Stan and Ford had recently returned from their trip around the world, and were staying Mystery Shack, now run by Soos, to relax.

Almost immediately after settling into their usual room in the attic, Dipper disappeared into the basement to help Ford with his research, which is, of course, what both Dipper and Ford call "relaxing". Mabel, on the other hand, dashed into town to find Grenda and Candy, then proceeded to spend the next several hours in a flurry of laughter, glitter, and general pandemonium.

However, all that excitement soon came to a screeching halt for Mabel. The trio had stopped by the food court at the Gravity Falls Mall to rest. And that's when she showed up.

Pacifica Northwest.

She was with her usual entourage, flaunting her wealth, acting aloof. Basically, she was being Pacifica. Not much had changed between the Northwest heiress and the Pines twins over the years. They had gotten to a point where they might greet each other and have a brief conversation. A polite "How are you? What have you been up to? What's new?" but usually nothing more. On rare occasions, Pacifica might visit the Mystery Shack on her own, allowing the teens to engage in deeper conversation. They even exchanged phone numbers. But saying they were friends would be an overstatement.

In fact, Pacifica usually didn't want to be seen in public with them, especially if it was just Mabel. She'd been fairly comfortable with Dipper since the Northwest Manor Incident, probably since he was a hero as far as her family was concerned, but Mabel? Pacifica seemed embarrassed to be seen with her, and would only tolerate them being alone if they were in the Mystery Shack. It hurt a little that she couldn't make up with her former rival, but Mabel had accepted that they might never be friends.

At least, she thought she had.

Because, this time, for some reason, Mabel could take her eyes of the blonde heiress. And neither could anyone else in the mall, for that matter. Puberty had definitely been kind to her. She was built like a model: tall and thin, effortlessly beautiful. In terms of height, she had a few inches on Mabel, but her modest B-cup breasts were slightly smaller than Mabel's C-cup. But, of course, it wasn't just her body that caught people's attention; it was how she showed it off.

Pacifica was wearing a purple crop-top, showing off her perfectly toned stomach, and a pink miniskirt, just short enough to excite all the boys she walked by, all of whom were begging for an unexpected gust of wind to reveal what was hidden underneath. All that combined with her long legs in those white thigh-highs, diamond earrings shimmering on her ears, and a confident sway in her hips as she walked; Pacifica was drop-dead gorgeous.

Naturally, Mabel already knew Pacifica was beautiful. She had seen her every summer for almost six years now. But this year, Mabel _really_ noticed the incomparable, elegant beauty that was Pacifica. Those legs, those hips, those eyes, those lips. Lips Mabel would love to just –

"Wait, what was I…?" Mabel wasn't sure where her mind was about to wander. But she was sure she didn't like. Something about Pacifica was throwing her off. It was a new, weird feeling, and she wasn't sure how to respond to it. She wanted it to leave. She wanted it to go away. She had to get away from Pacifica.

Before Pacifica could see her, Mabel excused herself, making up an excuse about helping Dipper test some invention, and hurried out of the mall, leaving her friends confused.

She spent the next few days helping around the Shack, refusing to go into town for any reason, much to the confusion of all the Shack's inhabitants.

And that's where she's been ever since.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I dooooooooooooo!?" Mabel mumbled to herself quietly as she paced. Her thoughts continued to haunt her. She needed help, advice, someone to turn to in her time of need.

But who would listen?

Dipper was the obvious choice, given that he's her twin. "Nah, asking him might not be a good idea on this one."

Ford would probably be the next best thing, being a genius and all. "But he's probably busy. And teenage girl drama probably isn't his forte."

Then there's Soos. "Probably not."

And Stan. "Definitely not."

That leaves Wendy. "And she's off work today." Mabel collapsed face first onto her bed. "And I can't go to her place, 'cause I'd have to go to town, then I might see Pacifica and – AAAHHHGGG!" Mabel yelled in frustration before burying her head in her pillows.

Just then, there was a knock on the attic door, and, behind her, Mabel could hear the old door creak open.

"Hey, Mabel?" It was Dipper.

"Hmm?" mumbled Mabel from her pillows.

"You alright? You've been acting weird – well, weirder than normal – the last few days."

"Mm-hmm," mumbled Mabel.

A brief moment of silence, then Dipper sighed, "Okay, so you're not alright. Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You can't lie to me, Mabel. I know you too well." Dipper walked over to her and sat her upright on the bed. Then he kneeled down in front of her. "Now, come on. What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you," said Mabel, avoiding eye contact, looking down at her hands.

Dipper frowned. "Because?"

Excuses flew through Mabel's mind. 'You'd laugh at me.' 'It's weird.' 'It's too personal.' None of those would work on Dipper. They _are_ twins, after all.

In the end, all Mabel could say was, "I don't know."

Dipper's frown deepened. "Please, Mabel? I want to help you. You're not being yourself and I'm worried. We're all worried. Please, just tell me what's wrong."

Mabel couldn't stand the pleading in his voice. It was obvious that keeping her problem a secret was hurting Dipper just as much as it was hurting her. Mabel took a deep breath.

"I –" Mabel hesitated. "I think… I think I…" Once again, she took a deep breath and braced herself.

Closing her eyes, she declared, "Dipper, I think I'm in love."

Mabel opened her eyes, expecting to see Dipper laughing at her, but, instead, the boy was sighing with relief.

"That explains why you won't go to town. We thought someone might have… well… 'attacked' you while you were with Candy and Grenda. But at least now I know you're okay."

Mabel was confused, then confusion turned to shock as she blushed and stuttered out, "N-no, we weren't r—" Mabel choked on the word. "'Attacked'…or anything like that! Why would you even think that?!"

Dipper chuckled. "Well, a brother _is_ allowed to worry, isn't he? But, anyway, about this whole 'love' situation, why keep it a secret? It's not like this is the first time or anything."

It's true. Mabel had gone through several boyfriends over the years, claiming she was in love each time she found a new one. But, every time, no matter how many dates they went on, how many times they hugged, how many times they kissed, the feeling would fade pretty quickly, and Mabel would break up with them. Something just didn't feel right. Somehow, no matter who she was dating, Mabel never really felt happy being with them.

"It's…different this time," Mabel whimpered, looking down at her hands again.

"Different?" Dipper was confused. "Different how?"

"I've…I've honestly never felt this way before. I can't get them out of my head, and my heart won't stop pounding." Her vision became blurry as her eyes began to water. "I don't know what to do! Dipper, help me!" Mabel was panicking. Tears started flowing down the girl's cheeks as she pleaded with her brother, covering her face with her hands.

Seeing her panic, Dipper grew worried once again, and reached out to hug his twin sister. "Hey, hey, hey. It's ok. It'll be ok," he said, as he held her, trying to comfort her.

After a few minutes of gentle weeping, Mabel began to gather herself. Sensing the opportunity to speak, Dipper suggested, "Can't you just do what you normally do? Just go up to the guy and ask him on a date."

"It's not that simple," replied Mabel as she wiped her tears.

"Why not?"

Mabel looked up, face to face with Dipper, making sure he was listening.

"I think I fell in love with Pacifica."


	2. Chapter 2

**I have no idea where I'm going to end up taking this story. I have no plan whatsoever :) So I guess we'll all have to wait and see! Anyway, here's Chapter 2.**

Pacifica looked into her mirror and sighed. She'd gotten up early today, as she had every day this summer, and had been trying on clothes in her bedroom for hours now. But, in her endless supply of clothing, nothing seemed right. "Why am I even doing this?" Pacifica mumbled to herself, wondering if any of this was actually worth the stress.

There were two reasons she needed to look good.

The first was obvious. She was a Northwest. More specifically, she was _Pacifica_ Northwest, the beautiful teenage heiress to the Northwest fortune. She couldn't go outside and _not_ turn heads. It wouldn't seem right.

The second reason, however, was…

Pacifica sighed again. It didn't really matter anyway. It all seemed so hopeless. That second thing had been the real reason she was spending ridiculous amounts of time in front of her mirror. After all, she's Pacifica. She would look good in whatever she decided to wear and make it this season's fashion trend if she felt like it. But none of that mattered right now. She had to look good. She had to look perfect. Her outfit _had_ to be perfect. Just in case. After all, this was the only way she knew how to prepare for anything. In all her seventeen years of life, she only knew of two ways to make a problem go away: Look pretty for it, or throw money at it. In this particular case, she already knew the second option wouldn't do her any good.

And, as she stood before the mirror, wearing nothing but a pair of panties, Pacifica was beginning to think that the first option might not be much help either. It was almost noon and the blonde beauty still had yet to get dressed.

Deciding to take a break, Pacifica slipped into an oversized sweater, a gift from Mabel that the Pines girl had knitted and sent to her as a Christmas present. It was essentially the same sweater Mabel gave her during Weirdmageddon a few years back, the one with the llama on the front, except it was much bigger "for extra comfort!" as Mabel had put it in the note that came with the gift.

The blonde girl laid down on her back on her king-sized bed and looked around her absurdly large bedroom. Most of the room was various shades of pink, while all the furniture was white. The room contained her bed, obviously, a nightstand, a small, round table with two chairs, a large flatscreen TV, a large vanity, a sofa as well as two armchairs, a dresser, a full-body mirror, and a massive walk-in closet. There was no need for a bookshelf, since the entire wall opposite her bed was essentially a library, shelves built into the wall, containing a few hundred books that she was never going to read. In the corner of the room, there was a fireplace, but it was more for show than anything, and Pacifica couldn't recall ever needing it. Scattered throughout the room were a variety of potted plants, giving the room a bit more color.

Pacifica turned her attention towards the windows, which faced the gardens in the front yard of the Northwest Manor. A door between the two large windows led to a small balcony, from which Pacifica could look beyond the gardens, past the trees, and see Gravity Falls. The water tower, the police station, the town hall, the mall. And way beyond all of that, although she couldn't see it hidden among the trees, was the Mystery Shack. She knew exactly where it was. She could tell someone exactly where in the forest they could find it. She could point out its exact location on a map. She could even give someone step-by-step directions on how to get to it from anywhere in town. She knew where it was, but she could rarely find the courage to go there herself.

Because Mabel was there.

And Mabel had been there for almost a week now.

And Mabel would be there to see her if she showed up.

And Pacifica wasn't mentally prepared for that.

Pacifica pulled her sweater up over her head to hide, from no one in particular, the fact that she was blushing furiously. The Pines twins come back to Gravity Fall the same time every year. Pacifica was aware of that. That's why she had been at the mall that day. That's why she tried to look her best. She wanted Mabel to look at her. She wanted Mabel to _really_ look at her. For a moment, just for a moment, she felt it working, but, before she'd even realized it, Mabel had disappeared. And Pacifica had yet to see her since. She'd gone into town every day, with no clear goal or destination, and just wandered the town, but she never once saw Mabel.

Not seeing her hurt, and Pacifica couldn't help but think that it was her fault. Thoughts flew through her head at a mile a minute.

'She thinks you're a slut.'

'She thinks you're too stuck-up.'

'She doesn't want to be your friend.'

'She'll never forgive you for that first summer.'

'She hates you.'

That last one cut deep, and Pacifica could feel herself begin to tear up. "Why," she whimpered. "Why, of all people, did I have to fall in love with _her_?"

Pacifica had come to terms with it last summer. Unlike Mabel, she'd never had a boyfriend before, though not for lack of available suitors. Guys would try their luck all the time, asking if she'd like to go out, and she turned down each and every one, though she never really knew why. Objectively, most of them were fairly handsome, but, for some reason, Pacifica never found any of them attractive.

But Mabel was different. From the day she met her, Mabel had always been nothing but a ball of pure energy and excitement. She gave her all at everything she did, no matter how ridiculous, and always had a great time doing it. She always had a smile on her face, always optimistic, and always looking for the good in people. She was one of the first people to ever extend true kindness toward Pacifica. And, to Pacifica, all that was truly attractive.

And her body wasn't bad either. Compared to Pacifica, Mabel was on the shorter side. But, unlike Pacifica's thin, toned body, Mabel had curves in all the right places. Her bust was larger than Pacifica's, and, even though she was always in a sweater, it was always apparent just how large her chest was. In fact, since she was almost always bouncing with energy, her chest was always bouncing right along with her, and, while Dipper always seemed to be acutely aware of them, Mabel was oblivious to all the guys enjoying the show. As for her lower body, Mabel had a relatively slim waist, but nice, full hips. Her legs were somewhat muscular, from all her constant activity, but her thighs were just the right amount of thick, giving her a round, sexy butt. In contrast to all that, her facial features were cute and youthful, innocent. Mabel was a different kind of attractive than Pacifica, but she was still, undoubtedly, and in her own way, beautiful.

All that had always made it a little uncomfortable for Pacifica to be alone with Mabel, and, once she realized her feelings for her, being alone together was nearly impossible. Her heart would nearly beat out of her chest, and Pacifica was scared she might just lose herself, and lean over, and try to k—

Pacifica, still red as a beet, shot up out of bed. "That's it," she said to herself, psyching herself up. "Today's the day. I'm gonna do it. I _have_ to do it. I'm just gonna go over there and tell her. I'll tell her how I feel. It's not like…" Pacifica stopped as a sad thought occurred to her. "It's not like we were ever really friends in the first place. What have I got to lose?"

She got out of bed and dashed out of her bedroom, before stopping suddenly and looking down at her clothes. "But first, I should get dressed."

* * *

Dipper laid down on the couch in the living room and groaned. The revelation that his sister was in love with Pacifica had left him speechless. And Mabel hadn't appreciated his silence. After she confessed her love, Dipper wasn't sure exactly what to say, and ended up giving Mabel nothing more than a blank stare. Before he even realized what was going on, Mabel had banished him from the room, and Dipper found himself standing in the hallway, staring at a "Do not disturb" sign that Mabel managed to hang on the door while the boy was still dazed. Unsure how to proceed, Dipper decided to head back to the living room to think.

But, for the first time in his life, Dipper wasn't sure if there was any way to help his twin. This wasn't exactly a situation where intelligence makes things easier. Usually, when it came to emotional issues, _Dipper_ would ask _Mabel_ for help, not the other way around. The feeling of helplessness was killing him, but, at least for the time being, there probably wasn't anything he, or anyone else, could do. Right now, it was all up to Mabel to figure things out. But Dipper wasn't ready to give up that easily.

"Goddammit," mumbled Dipper. "There's gotta be something. Anything. Even the smallest thing to help her right now." Yet, try as he might, he still came up with nothing. "I might need to call in backup on this one."

Just then, Dipper heard the front door open, and a familiar voice shouted, "Yo! Dipper! Mabel! You guys here? Wanna hang out?"

Dipper jumped up off the couch and ran to greet Wendy at the door. The redhead hadn't changed much over the year, both in appearance and personality. She was still the same badass lumberjack girl that she had always been. Dipper had grown a bit taller than her now, and had long gotten over his crush on her, but would still turn to her for advice if there was something Mabel couldn't help him with. The Corduroy girl had stayed in Gravity Falls after high school, since going to college for _more_ school was not something she had ever planned on doing. She worked with her father as a lumberjack, but still found the time to work part-time at the Shack, which was more of a hobby than a second job, since she barely did any work in the first place.

"Wendy! Perfect timing. Come with me for a second. I need your help." Dipper grabbed Wendy's arm and lead her back outside, and around the corner of the building, since he was afraid Mabel might be able to hear them if they talked on the front porch.

"Woah, okay Dip. I walk through the door and say hi and the first thing you do when I walk in is pull me back out?" Wendy laughed. "You never change, man. Still just go straight to the point." She sat down on a nearby tree stump. "So what's up?"

Dipper sighed and leaned against the building. "We've got a bit of a problem. You know how Mabel's been acting weird lately, right?" Wendy nodded. "Well…" Dipper went on to explain the situation, all while Wendy quietly sat and listened.

"So, anything we can do to help? Any ideas?" Dipper concluded. Wendy sat thoughtfully for a moment before answering, "Well, it's like you said. There's not much we can do at the moment. For now, we might just have to wait and see. Unless something happens, it looks like we'll be sitting this one out." Dipper frowned, clearly unsatisfied with his friend's answer. Seeing this, Wendy sighed and said, "Look man, I wanna help just as much as you do. Mabel's, like, one of the best people ever. But the way things seem, I don't think we can help."

As if on cue, a long black limousine pulled up in front of the Shack. The duo peered around the corner to see who had arrived and, unsurprisingly, Pacifica stepped out of the car. After all, who else in Gravity Falls owns a limo _and_ would bother using it to come to the Mystery Shack.

The blonde, however, didn't seem to notice the pair staring at her from the side of the building. Instead, she slowly approached the front door, visibly apprehensive, much to the surprise of Wendy and Dipper. The Northwest girl was never seen as anything besides a glowing figure of self-confidence, so seeing her in such a nervous state came as quite the surprise.

Pacifica reached the door, raised her hand to open it, hesitated, then pulled back. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she slowly raised her hand once more, then froze. Under her breath, she had been muttering, "You can do this…you can do this…you can do this…" but after standing in the same place for roughly a full minute, Dipper and Wendy determined that she couldn't do it.

Walking up to the girl, and pretending not to have witnessed her emotional turmoil, Dipper casually called out, "Hey, Pacifica! It's been a while. How've you been?"

Jumping a little at the sound of an unexpected, but familiar voice, Pacifica turned to see Dipper and Wendy approaching her. "Oh! Uh…hey guys! I…uh…" Pacifica cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "I hadn't seen you since you came back for the summer, so I figured I should drop by and say hello." Pacifica had hoped to say that in her usual aloof tone, but even she could tell it sounded forced.

Dipper and Wendy decided not to comment on it.

After a brief conversation, Pacifica seemed to loosen up a bit, and began talking and laughing more naturally. She seemed to return to normal, and Dipper and Wendy almost forgot how nervous she had been. That is, until Wendy made a suggestion.

"Let's go inside," she offered. "I'll go get Mabel. I think she might be taking a nap, but if –"

"NO!"

Dipper and Wendy jumped back, surprised by Pacifica's shout. Even Pacifica was taken aback by herself, throwing her hands over her mouth, shocked and embarrassed, as she began to blush. "I…uh…I mean, I…" Pacifica scrambled for an excuse. "I wouldn't want to wake her! Yeah. It'd be rude, so…uh…I'll…come back…later. Sorry. Excuse me." Pacifica darted back to her limo, which promptly turned around and drove away.

Too surprised to say anything, Wendy and Dipper watched as the car sped back towards town. Once the shock wore off, however, Dipper was the first to speak up. "That… was odd. She seemed normal until…"

"I asked her to come inside where…"

The two exchanged a glance, clearly thinking the same thing. Wendy smirked. Dipper frowned.

Shaking his head slightly, Dipper said, "It seems like a stretch. After all, we'd be going off of a hunch. And, without any way to confirm it, it's a big risk."

"But it's worth a shot, isn't it?" Wendy answered. Dipper sighed, still unsure.

"Dude, relax. Think of it as… doing research on the emotions of girls," laughed Wendy. "It'll be fine. We'll meet at the movie theatre at 7. I'll bring Mabel. You handle Pacifica."

Wendy pat Dipper on the back and added, "And if we're wrong, no harm, no foul, right?" before walking into the Shack. Dipper stared off in the direction Pacifica had driven and sighed once more. "I guess we're doing this," he grumbled and started walking towards Northwest Manor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shorter chapter this time, but I hope you enjoy it!**

Mabel had been lying face down on her bed for a while now. She wasn't asleep, but she also didn't really feel like doing anything or seeing anyone. So she had decided to spend the rest of the day in bed. She was aware that she was being a tad overdramatic about the whole situation, but, if not even Dipper could help her, was there any hope left for her at all? She had heard Wendy loudly announce her arrival a few minutes ago, but the redhead had gone quiet for a while now, and Mabel didn't have the energy to search for her. So she stayed in bed, feeling sorry for herself.

But, after a brief commotion outside that Mabel didn't feel like investigating, there was a knock at the door. "Yo, Mabel. You awake in there?" called Wendy from the door. "Can I come in?" Mabel let out a groan of approval from her bed, which, after a moment, Wendy decided must have meant "Come in."

Closing the door behind her, Wendy walked up to Mabel and sat at the foot of her bed. "Hey, dude. You feeling okay?"

Mabel groaned again.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Mabel went silent. After all, what was there to talk about? She felt trapped by her own emotions, no way to escape from the pits of hopelessness. Wendy nodded. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't say much. But Dipper already went ahead and told me everything so —"

Mabel shot upright. Staring daggers at Wendy, and in a tone way more serious than any she had ever spoken in before, Mabel asked, "He _what?_ "

Wendy, taken aback by Mabel's tone, hesitated before repeating, "He told me about the…uh…situation you're in with Pacifica."

Mabel fell back down onto her bed, frustrated, saying, "What the _fuck_ , Dipper? That was supposed to be a secret. Why would you…UGH." She covered her head with her sweater and rolled so her back was towards Wendy.

Wendy, still a bit hesitant, asked, "Well, did you _tell_ him it was a secret?"

Mabel was quiet for a second before responding, "Well… no… but he was supposed to know not to tell anyone!"

The redhead laughed and said, "Mabel, dude. Your brother's super smart, and he's usually pretty perceptive, but remember, when it comes to emotional junk, he's not always on top of his game. He probably didn't know not to tell anyone if you didn't tell him not to."

Mabel curled up into a ball and sighed, "I know. I know. Sorry. It's just… I've been so messed up recently. My emotions are all over the place and I don't know how I'm supposed to react. It's all too confusing."

Wendy leaned back onto the bed, facing the ceiling, thinking about how to respond to what Mabel had said. "Well," she started, "it looks like, one way or another, you're gonna have to ride this one out. I don't think I need to tell you that Dipper and I are here for you when you need us, but we won't be able to walk you through this." Wendy turned her head to look at Mabel, who still had her back to the redhead. "Your feelings for Pacifica won't just up and leave on their own, and nobody's gonna make them go away for you. This will probably sound tacky, but the best advice I can give you is that you just have to be yourself. Just be Mabel Pines, the optimistic, energetic, hyperactive spaz of Gravity Falls. You'll be able to come up with the answer on your own, just by being yourself. Just give it a little time." Wendy waited a few seconds to see how Mabel would react. The brunette shifted a bit, but was otherwise unresponsive. Wendy rose from her place on the bed, stretched, and said, "Well, that's about all the help I can give you right now. I know it's not as clear an answer as you might have wanted, but I hope it helped. If you're feeling up to it, Dipper and I were gonna catch a movie at 7. Let me know if you wanna come."

As Wendy opened the door to leave, Mabel, without getting up or facing Wendy, mumbled, "I'll be there. Gimme a second. I'll come downstairs when I'm ready."

Wendy smiled to herself, both because Mabel was feeling better and because the plan was off to a good start. 'Now, I just gotta hope Dipper pulls through,' she thought. 'Then on to Phase 2!'

* * *

Meanwhile, Pacifica had returned to her bedroom at Northwest Manor. She had changed back into her sweater and was pacing her room, mumbling to herself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! You were right there! All you had to do was go inside! Even if you couldn't confess to her, you could have at least gotten a little closer to her!" She flopped down onto her sofa, replaying the events at the Mystery Shack in her head, regretting the moment she panicked and ran. Everything had been going smoothly until she heard Mabel's name. Dipper and Wendy managed to get her to calm down, but all it took was hearing her name and it all fell apart. Pacifica sighed, and began trying to think of another excuse to head down to the Shack, probably in a week or two.

She remained like that for around fifteen minutes, when there was a knock on her door. "Yes, come in," she called, not really interested in whoever was knocking. "Excuse me, Mistress," said a maid as she entered, "but Dipper Pines is here to speak with you. He is waiting in the foyer."

Pacifica shot upright on the couch. "Dipper!?" she yelped. The maid nodded, slightly confused by Pacifica's shout. "Uh, yes. Thank you. Tell him I'll be down in a moment," commanded Pacifica, trying to recover from the slight shock. The maid left the room as Pacifica scrambled to change into more presentable clothes.

A few minutes later, Pacifica went downstairs to greet her unexpected guest. "Hey, Dipper. What brings you here?" called Pacifica as she descended the staircase, trying to act as though nothing had happened an hour ago. "Yo," replied Dipper, just as casually. "You kinda seemed… well… panicky back at the Shack, so I figured I'd come check on you." Pacifica turned a bit pale. "Hey, you alright?" asked Dipper.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," answered Pacifica, shaking her head slightly, trying desperately to keep her wits about her. "Sorry about earlier. I guess I was just… nervous. It's been a year since I'd seen you guys. Maybe I thought you might have… changed." It wasn't entirely a lie. She _was_ nervous and scared that Mabel might have decided to give up on being friends.

Dipper laughed, much to Pacifica's surprise. "Was that all? C'mon Pacifica. You know we're never going to change. We'll always be the same Pines twins who came to Gravity Falls all those summers ago."

Pacifica, managing to loosen up a bit, teased, "Well, _excuse me_ for thinking that maybe you might grow out of your nerd phase and actually be cool for once."

Dipper grabbed his chest and feigned being in pain. "Oo, ouch. Hitting me where it hurts. Glad to see _you_ haven't changed much either." The pair laughed and continued to take jabs at each other for a while.

"Well, it's good to see you're fine after all," said Dipper. "If you want, Wendy and I were thinking of going to a movie around 7 if you want to come. Mabel might be there, too. If Wendy can convince her to get out of bed."

Once again, the mention of Mabel stopped Pacifica dead in her tracks. "I… uh…" Pacifica hesitated, something that didn't escape Dipper's notice. This was way earlier than Pacifica was expecting, but the chance to see Mabel had fallen right into her lap. She could try again. 'Relax! Relax! Relax!' Pacifica shouted at herself internally. 'Take a deep breath. It's just a movie. Calm down.'

After a brief moment, Pacifica was able to respond, "I don't think I have much going on today. So I might stop by. I'll meet you at the theatre in a few hours."

"Great! See you then," replied Dipper as he turned to see himself out. As the boy left the Northwest property, he began trying to figure out what the next move should be. After talking with Pacifica, it was becoming fairly obvious that Wendy's hunch had been correct. The problem now was trying to find a way to act on it. Of course, Dipper already knew that Wendy probably had something planned. He just didn't know if he should be excited or scared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy New Year!**

"Hey Pacifica! Over here!" called Dipper to the blonde girl as she approached the theatre. It was 6:45, and there was still a good amount of time before the next showing of "Duck-Tective 2: Back in Quack-Tion" at 7:10, but Wendy, Dipper, and Mabel had shown up around 6:30, getting there before Mabel had the chance to change her mind. Pacifica had actually intended to arrive much earlier, but, once again, found herself worrying about what to wear. She hurried over to join the group.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's get our tickets," said Dipper. He took a big step back, bowed, and gestured with his arm towards the ticket booth, making sure the whole action looked overly theatrical in an attempt to lighten the mood before either Mabel or Pacifica could stiffen up. Smiling, he announced, "Ladies first."

Wendy nudged Mabel and Pacifica. "That means you two." The redhead smirked. "I'm no lady. I prefer being addressed as 'Badass Lumberjack Girl'." Mabel, remaining silent, nodded and walked towards the booth. Pacifica stood in line behind her. Dipper and Wendy, however, stayed back. Holding his phone and turning to Wendy, a worried look on his face, Dipper asked, "You sure about this?"

Wendy's phone began to ring. Without taking her eyes off the two girls in line, Wendy nodded. "Positive," she said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Wendy's plan was fairly simple. At the theatre, Dipper and Wendy would have Pacifica and Mabel buy their tickets first. Then, Wendy would "get a phone call". It needed to be as convincing as possible so, since Wendy's phone needed to ring at just the right time, Dipper was the one calling her, though he snuck his phone back into his pocket as soon as he dialed. Wendy would answer the phone, hold a fake conversation, then report that Soos needed Wendy and Dipper back at the Shack. The pair would then head off, leaving Mabel and Pacifica, who already had their tickets, alone to watch the movie together.

And it all went perfectly.

"Sorry guys, but we can't leave Soos hanging like that," said Wendy, looking as guilty as she could. "You guys enjoy the movie. Wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good ticket. C'mon Dip."

"Come back to the Shack when it's over. We can hang out there for a while, once we're done helping Soos," added Dipper as he and Wendy walked away.

The two teens who remained were dumbfounded. Mabel just stared as her brother walked away, just about ready to scream, while Pacifica looked down, desperately trying to calm her racing heart. Neither girl could look at the other, yet both were overwhelmed with the same flurry of emotions. They felt scared, betrayed, excited, anxious, and, somehow, happy. They were alone with the girl they loved, but they were _alone_ with the girl they loved. At a movie theatre. Like a date. A first date. ' _Our first date._ '

All at once, both girls were completely red in the face, blushing furiously at the thought of going on a date together. It was almost too much. But Pacifica wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. She had to do something. Taking a deep breath, regaining as much of her aloof attitude as she could, the blonde turned towards the theatre and said, "Well, you heard them. Let's just go see the movie. We can catch up with them later." Pacifica began strutting towards the entrance, walking with the same grace as she had at the mall.

Mabel nodded and followed behind her, still remaining speechless. Her silence was only making it harder for Pacifica to keep herself together. Mabel wasn't acting normal. 'Is she disappointed that she has to be alone with me? Or worse, is she angry? Why isn't she talking? Does she hate me that much? That she won't even talk to me? Can I still salvage this? We can still be friends, right?' Pacifica's mind was racing, as all the worst possible scenarios began to play out in her head.

Mabel, on the other hand, could barely manage to figure out what was going on inside her own head, let alone worry about what was happening in Pacifica's. She was still trying to sort out the emotions flying around inside her. Right now, all she knew was that she couldn't speak. If she did, she was sure she would burst into tears. Whether those were tears of sadness, tears of joy, or tears of fear, even Mabel herself wasn't sure. But she didn't want to start crying now. Even if she couldn't say a word for the rest of the night, Mabel was certain crying would ruin everything faster than silence. So she prepared to go without talking until she could sort out her feelings.

The two girls, alone with their thoughts, made their way into the building. They sat down in adjacent seats, in the center of the large, mostly empty theatre, and prepared themselves for what would most likely be the most emotionally stressful 90 minutes of their lives.

* * *

Back at the Shack, Dipper paced the gift shop nervously, while Wendy sat quietly behind the counter, watching Dipper circle the store. The second half of Wendy's plan had been less of an actual plan and more of a way to abandon the girls. While the whole idea had been to convince the girls to face their emotions, regardless of the eventual outcome, the "plan" more or less just put them in an uncomfortable situation with no real escape and an unpredictable end result. There was a chance that everything would work out perfectly, just as it had up to this point. But there was also the distinct possibility that the girls' relationship may be in tatters, completely irreparable, by the end of the night. And, if the worst came to pass, Dipper would be left trying to console both his heartbroken sister and his devastated friend at the same time, all while dealing with the guilt of having been the one who caused it, an emotional burden that he most likely would not be able to bear.

The stress was killing him. As he paced, he began questioning his decision to intervene at all. "Maybe we shouldn't have done this. I mean, I did say that there wasn't much we could do. We probably should have had them figure this out naturally, you know? On their own. We shouldn't have rushed them. They might end up hating each other."

"Dipper."

"They might end up hating us, too. If they find out we did this, we might be in big trouble."

"Dipper."

"Goddammit, I can't deal with all this. Why did I have to get involved? This was way too risky."

Wendy stood up. "DIPPER!"

"WHAT?"

Wendy sat back down, rubbing her temples. "Calm down, man. Jesus. You're not the one putting your emotions out there for the world to see. Those two are. If anyone should be having an emotional breakdown right now, it's them. And I'm sure both of them are barely hanging on as it is. You stressing out isn't going to help anything."

Dipper sighed. He knew Wendy was right, but he always got like this whenever Mabel needed him and he couldn't help her. In fact, in this case, he may have actually made the situation _worse,_ but he wouldn't know until it was over. It hurt him to know that, but what's done is done.

He sat down, cross-legged, on the floor of the gift shop. "I know, I know. But things could go downhill for them if tonight doesn't work out like they want it to. Or rather, like we want it to, since we were the ones who tricked them into doing this. This might just cause more problems for them."

Wendy put her feet up on the desk as she leaned back in her chair. "You said it before. There's not much we could do. But that didn't mean there was _nothing_ we could do. Or nothing we _should_ do. We both know that those two would have spent the rest of the summer as far apart from each other as possible. Pacifica may have tried something, but you saw her too. She's a mess, just like Mabel. There's no way they would get anywhere on their own. We just gave them a little push. Encouraged them to face each other, to be honest with each other. Don't get me wrong; I'm just as worried as you. They might go down in flames, and we won't be free from blame if that happens. It'd kill me to think that I had a hand in hurting those two. But even then, at least they'd have closure. They'd be able to move on, to find someone new. That's something they wouldn't have if they never confronted their feelings. They'd be stuck thinking 'What if?' for the rest of their lives. As their friends, it'd be cruel if we knew about this, and still did nothing to at least push them in the right direction."

Dipper was entranced and amazed by Wendy. On the outside, the twenty-year-old was still the same person she was five years ago. But Wendy had matured a lot since she met the Pines twins, and, sometimes, she seemed to have wisdom beyond that of the average 20-something young adult. It eased Dipper's mind a little to know that the redhead would always be there to support him and Mabel whenever they needed help.

Wendy continued. "Taking risks always sucks, especially when it comes to love. But, for better or for worse, those are the risks you need to take to be able to move on. We gave them the chance. It's up to them to take the leap of faith. How things work out between them is entirely in their hands."

The redhead looked at her watch. It was 7:45. The movie would be over in about an hour.

* * *

For Mabel, that hour couldn't pass fast enough. The movie seemed to be dragging on forever, despite the fact that she wasn't paying it any attention. She was, however, very conscious of the girl sitting to her right. Ever since they sat down, no words had been exchanged between the girls. They couldn't even bring themselves to look at each other. Yet Mabel was also unable to let her guard down. She loves Duck-Tective, and had been waiting months to finally see the new movie in theatres. But now that she was here, she couldn't even use it as a distraction.

In the fairly empty theatre, the brunette had finally managed to mostly sort out her feelings, but now, as Pacifica had before, she began to run through all the ways things could turn sour. She wanted Dipper to be here so badly. He could help her. He could calm her down. But he wasn't here.

'Why did I agree to this? Why did I come here?' Mabel began to tear up as she tried to find the answer. Then she remembered.

Wendy.

Wendy had convinced her to get out of bed. If Wendy hadn't come by the Shack earlier, Mabel wouldn't be in this situation. It was her fault. She was the one who dragged her here. She was the one who –

'Just be yourself. Just be Mabel Pines.'

Wendy's words echoed in Mabel's mind. The words that inspired her to embrace her feelings. The words that inspired her to face her emotions head on. The words that steeled her resolve to tell Pacifica how she felt. That's why she was here. After all, she is Mabel Pines, no stranger to love. She'd asked plenty of boys on dates before. It just so happened that, this time, she'd be asking a girl. No big deal, right?

For the remainder of the movie, Mabel mentally prepared herself to ask Pacifica out on another date. Not with Wendy and Dipper this time. Just the two of them. The thought of it terrified her, but Mabel Pines never backs down from a challenge. She _did_ help save the world a few years ago.

Before she even realized it, the credits were rolling. Pacifica stood up to stretch, and, without looking at Mabel, said, "Alright, it's over. Let's head over to the Mystery Shack to meet back up with Dipper and Wendy."

"Sure!" replied Mabel, with her usual energy, reinvigorated by her determination. The remarkably normal response earned a surprised glance from Pacifica, but the blonde still began strutting out of the theatre, moving a little faster than normal. Mabel was quick to follow behind her.

As the pair exited the building and reached the street, Mabel took a deep breath and called out, "Pacifica, wait. I…need to talk to you."

The blonde girl, still a step ahead of Mabel, stopped, but didn't turn around. "Y-yeah?"

Pacifica's somewhat hesitant response made Mabel a bit nervous, but she pressed on. "We…we're friends, right? I mean, we've been through a lot together, and I have fun hanging out with you. So…we're friends. Right?"

Pacifica didn't say anything and kept her back to Mabel. Mabel had planned for a number of possible responses to her question, but silence was not one of them. She began to panic. If she couldn't see Pacifica's face, there was no way to even guess what Pacifica was thinking. Was she happy? Mad? Offended? Surprised? Mabel couldn't tell. But she had already committed to it. She had to see it through.

"Pacifica – "

But before Mabel could say anything else, Pacifica suddenly whirled around to face her. Tears were streaming down the blonde's cheeks, but she didn't seem sad. Actually, her emotions were difficult to read, but Mabel could see, deep in Pacifica's bright blue eyes, a bizarre mixture of happiness and fear. And in a shaking, timid voice, Pacifica spoke.

"What would you say if I told you I love you?"

There was a pleading in the question. It begged for an answer, any answer. Just something to hold onto. Something to validate the girl who had asked it.

The question held all the emotions of a girl in love.

The joy.

The fear.

The excitement.

The anxiety.

All of the feelings that had built up inside Pacifica were let out with a single question. The question that had haunted Pacifica for the past year. The most difficult question Pacifica ever had to ask. Just one simple question.

But the answer Pacifica wanted so badly never came.

Mabel ran away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Just a heads up, but I think, depending on how I end up writing it, either the chapter after this one or the chapter after that will be the ending. I'm not sure yet, but I'll see how it goes. Anyway, here's the next chapter, the longest one so far. Enjoy!**

The movie was finally over. Pacifica felt as if she had been holding her breath the entire time, and, now that it was done, all she could think about was getting back to the Mystery Shack. Mable hadn't said a word since Pacifica had gotten to the theatre, so the blonde had decided that the best course of action would be to retreat back to the Shack where Dipper and Wendy were waiting. It wouldn't be ideal if Pacifica wanted to make her move, but more people would give the girl a little more confidence. At the very least, it might help her get closer to Mabel.

"Alright, it's over. Let's head over to the Mystery Shack to meet back up with Dipper and Wendy," suggested Pacifica as she began to make a beeline towards the exit.

"Sure!"

Mabel's oddly energized reply caused Pacifica to reflexively glance back towards the brunette. The way Mabel had been acting, Pacifica was expecting no more than a quiet nod, or perhaps an unintelligible mumble, but Mabel gave her reply as if she found nothing about their current situation unnerving in the slightest. 'She's probably just excited to be rid of me,' thought the blonde sadly, and Pacifica began to walk even faster towards the exit.

Everything changed, however, as Pacifica neared the street. She heard Mabel's footsteps slow, then stop. And, for the first time this summer, Mabel reached out to Pacifica. "Pacifica, wait. I…need to talk to you."

Pacifica froze. 'This is it. She's done with me. She wants to tell me I should just go home. She hates me.' Pacifica steeled her heart for the worst, and, after a moment, stuttered, "Y-yeah?"

"We…we're friends, right?"

Mabel continued to speak, but Pacifica couldn't hear anything beyond that first sentence.

'Friends? We're…friends? She considers us…friends?'

Pacifica was overwhelmed with a feeling of pure joy. All this time, she had been so scared that Mabel might never accept her as a friend. The blonde couldn't even bring herself to look at Mabel, yet the brunette still considered them friends. Pacifica had relentlessly bullied Mabel when they first met, yet Mabel still considered them friends. Pacifica constantly maintained an air of superiority around Mabel, yet Mabel still considered them friends. The brunette was so kind, so forgiving, so hopeful. It was clear as day why Pacifica fell for her.

Yet, at the same time, falling for her was the one thing that threatened their friendship the most. Would Mabel still accept her if Pacifica confessed her love? Would their friendship survive if Mabel rejected her? Pacifica was terrified of losing Mabel, but she also knew that keeping her feelings a secret would hurt just as badly.

The blonde couldn't hold back tears. Overcome with emotion, Pacifica turned to face Mabel and asked, "What would you say if I told you I love you?"

She said it.

She confessed.

And she fell to her knees crying as she watched Mabel run away.

Mabel rejected her without ever saying a word. All Pacifica needed to know was evident in the fact that Mabel turned tail and ran.

The blonde had expected it. There had always been a voice in the back of her mind nagging her, telling her that she had been wishing for the impossible. But, just for a moment, Mabel's words had silenced that voice. Mabel's words had allowed Pacifica's hope to take over, and she acted on that hope. And now, she was paying for her recklessness.

It hurt.

It hurt more than words could describe. Physical pain couldn't compare. Saying Pacifica felt her heart break was a vast understatement. It felt as if Mabel had ripped Pacifica's heart from her chest and crushed it in her hand. And all Pacifica could do was cry. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, ruining the make-up she had so meticulously put on. For the first time, Pacifica didn't care how she looked. She didn't care what people thought of her, or who saw her, because the only person who mattered had left her. For the first time, she cried in public. She cried like a child. A child lost in a city. A child whose pet had just died. A child whose friends had abandoned them.

No one dared approach the girl. After all, no one had seen a Northwest cry. So no one knew what to do. People ignored her. People on dates, people with their friends, people with their family, all walked around the sobbing young heiress, pretending not to see. It wasn't their problem. Life moved on. All while Pacifica felt like her life was over. No thoughts were running through her mind, no words came out of her mouth. The only thing inside of Pacifica was sadness, pure and simple. It overtook her, overwhelmed her. And all she could do was cry.

She was still crying when her limousine pulled up in front of the theatre. Pacifica had told her driver earlier that, unless she instructed him otherwise, he was to pick her up from the theatre at 9. Pacifica wanted to be prepared to leave as quickly as possible from the theatre if things went wrong. And things couldn't have gone worse.

The driver, an elderly man, was wise enough not to pry, and simply led the sobbing girl into the car, then sped back to Northwest Manor, knowing that Pacifica, in that moment, wanted nothing more than to go home.

* * *

Mabel burst through the door of the Mystery Shack, surprising Dipper and Wendy, who had started playing Go Fish out of boredom. Tears ran down the brunette's cheeks as she sprinted past them, heading straight for the attic.

Seeing his sister's distress, Dipper stood up, intending to follow her upstairs, but Wendy grabbed his arm to stop him. "Let me go!" said Dipper as he tried to pull his arm free from the lumberjack's grip. "I have to help her!"

Wendy's grip didn't waver. Dipper searched the redhead's eyes, expecting to find some trace of sympathy or pain. Wendy's gaze, however, was cold, serious, almost apathetic. In a tone that matched her stare, she asked, "What are you going to say?"

Dipper's mind went blank. He continued to struggle to free his arm, but he had no response to Wendy's question. He knew what Wendy was implying, but Dipper still struggled to accept it. There had to be something he could say. There had to be some way he could fix it.

Wendy wasn't amused. Pulling the boy towards herself, she grabbed his jaw with her free hand and turned his head so Dipper was looking directly at her. "Tell me, right now, what you're going to say. Tell me what you can do to help her. Tell me what you can say to comfort her. Because, if you can fix this, I'd like to know how."

Dipper stopped struggling. Wendy's gaze softened as she released her grip. The sympathy Dipper had searched for returned to her eyes. "Sorry about that, Dip. Didn't mean to get so serious just then, but that was the only way I knew you'd listen to me." Dipper nodded, looking down at the floor in defeat. Wendy, on the other hand, looked up towards the attic as she continued, "We've played our part. They've got to handle the rest on their own. Besides," Wendy sat back down behind the desk. "I doubt she wants to see anyone right now anyway."

In the attic, Mabel sat on her bed, sniffling. The tears had stopped. Really, there had been no reason for her to be crying in the first place, but the flurry of emotions inside her needed some kind of release. And, unlike at the theatre, she was unable to hold it in. Hugging one of her many stuffed animals, Mabel thought back to her conversation with Pacifica back at the theatre.

'What would you say if I told you I love you?'

When she heard those words, Mabel didn't think. She just ran. If Pacifica meant it, and she looked like she meant it, that would mean that she was in love with Mabel. It would mean that Pacifica had given her answer before Mabel had the chance to ask the question. It would mean that everything Mabel wanted was there for her to take.

Yet she still ran.

She was surprised. She was speechless. But, more than anything, she was scared. In her mind, Mabel had readied herself for three possible responses from Pacifica: laughter, shock, or disgust. She had prepared her heart for rejection. But to hear Pacifica confess her own feelings before Mabel had the chance to confess hers? That was about as far from rejection as possible. No amount of planning would have prepared Mabel to hear those words. It had never even crossed her mind that the blonde might return Mabel's feelings. It had just seemed so unrealistic.

But it still happened.

And Mabel didn't know what to say. She just couldn't find the words. She was scared that if she said the wrong thing, her words might lead to disaster. Yet, in a tragic twist of irony, her actions led to disaster all the same. Her thoughts became cluttered. Terrified that she might mess up, she panicked. She couldn't think.

So she didn't.

She ran.

And there, in her tiny room in the attic of a small tourist trap in Oregon, Mabel's mind became clear. And she realized something. Something that, in front of the theatre, she had completely forgotten. The one thing she could have said to Pacifica. The one thing the blonde wanted to hear. The one thing the brunette wanted to say. Four small words.

"I love you too."

As the glaringly simple solution occurred to her, Mabel couldn't help but begin to tear up once more. Falling backward onto her bed, she broke down sobbing. 'I shouldn't have gone to the movie,' she thought. 'I should have stayed home. I should have never told Dipper anything. Then I wouldn't hurt so much. I would have been fine. And Pacifica wouldn't have broken my heart.'

Wait.

No.

No, that's not right.

The tears stopped.

And Mabel shot upright as she had another terrible epiphany. In all her self-pity, she had overlooked the most important person in her depressing love story.

Pacifica.

Mabel had been so wrapped up in her own emotions, she never even thought of Pacifica's feelings. If Pacifica had been hiding her feelings for the brunette, like Mabel had hidden hers for the blonde, it would mean that, for all the pain, all the stress, all the confusion that Mabel felt, Pacifica felt it just the same. Mabel wasn't the only one who was suffering. Mabel wasn't the only one who was scared. But Mabel was too selfish to realize it until now. Right from the start, the only thing on her mind was her own feelings, even after learning how Pacifica felt. Even in that moment when she chose to run.

Mabel had no right to be sad. She wasn't heartbroken. Pacifica had been the one to pour out her emotions.

Pacifica confessed.

Mabel ran away.

Mabel screwed up.

Mabel broke Pacifica's heart.

The realization devastated Mabel. She hurt Pacifica. She caused Pacifica pain greater than she had ever known. This was no one's fault but her own. Pacifica had been brave. Mabel had been a coward. And there was only one way Mabel would ever be able to forgive herself.

Rising from the bed, Mabel took at deep breath, then slapped herself as hard as she could. Shaking off the pain, the brunette took a moment to gather her courage. There was only one way to fix this, and there was no margin for error.

Grabbing her backpack as she left, Mabel marched out of the attic, down the stairs, and through the gift shop. Dipper and Wendy, who had been half-heartedly cleaning the store, watched her in silence. Neither moved or said anything. Just as Wendy had said before, they had played their part. There was nothing more for them to do, so they just watched as the brunette left the Shack and began travelling towards town.

"One more try," she muttered to herself. "Just give me one more chance."

* * *

Pacifica sat huddled in the corner of her bedroom, her head buried in her knees. She hadn't bothered changing her clothes or fixing her make-up. She had gone directly from the car to her room, slamming the door shut and speaking to no one. All the lights in the room were off. The only thing preventing Pacifica from being completely enshrouded in darkness was her fireplace, quietly crackling on the opposite side of the room. This was the first time Pacifica had ever used it. Despite it being the middle of summer, Pacifica felt cold. She wanted some kind of comforting warmth, and the fireplace seemed like the natural choice.

She wasn't sure how long she had stayed there like that, when there was a knock at her door. Briefly pulled out of her depression, Pacifica looked up to check the time. It was just past 10pm. Still not wanting to see anyone, Pacifica shouted at the door, "Go away!"

A maid's voice responded, "You have a guest, Mistress."

"Then tell them to go away!"

"It's Mabel Pines, Mistress."

There it was again. Her name. The name that used to fill her with anxiety now only brought her pain and anger. It was an unreasonable anger, but, if there was anyone Pacifica didn't want to see right now, it was Mabel. The simple fact that she had the gall to come to Pacifica's doorstep made her mad. Instinctively, the heiress rose to her feet, as if to emphasize her rage. "Get out!" Pacifica cried. "Out! She's never to set foot in this house again! I never want to see her again! Get OUT!"

There was silence on the other side of the door for a moment, as the maid was shocked by Pacifica's harsh words. "As…as you wish, Mistress," replied the maid. Pacifica could hear the maid's footsteps fade away as she walked down the corridor to deliver the message to the unwanted guest. Now standing, Pacifica took a moment to look around her room. Even in the irregular lighting of the fire, Pacifica could still distinctly make out the color of the room.

Pink.

Why did it have to be pink?

It was the same color as a certain girl's favorite sweater. The one with the shooting star on the front. "Shooting Star, huh? That's what that stupid demon called you five years ago, right?" Pacifica laughed bitterly at the thought. "Shooting Star, my ass. If that was true, you're supposed to grant wishes, right? So why'd you have to tear mine down?"

Tears began to well up as Pacifica was, once again, alone with her thoughts. Her eyes were drawn to her bed, where her llama sweater was resting. And the tears began to fall as Pacifica realized what she needed to do.

It was over. There was no hope of rebuilding her relationship with Mabel. Pacifica had made sure of that the second she banished Mabel from the mansion. There's no going back. There's no fixing this. So Pacifica needed to get over it. A Northwest can't stay caught up in her emotional drama forever. Mabel Pines needed to be cut out of her life. And it all started here. The one thing that Pacifica owned that represented Mabel. Her most treasured possession.

Her favorite sweater.

It had to be destroyed.

Simply throwing it away wouldn't do. There was always the chance she might change her mind. If Pacifica wished it, servants would work for days digging through landfills, trying to find it. It had to be completely, irreversibly destroyed.

Picking up the sweater, Pacifica slowly walked toward the fireplace. Part of her was screaming for her to stop. Part of her held out hope that, maybe, against all odds, Mabel was still there. Part of her believed that there was a reason Mabel had come to see her. And it was that part of her that made tears fall as Pacifica watched the sweater go up in flames.

The fire grew as the new kindling was added, casting more light into the dark room. Drying her eyes, Pacifica walked toward the windows. A gust of wind entered the room as Pacifica opened the door to the balcony. The breeze made the girl shiver in the cold night air. Pacifica looked down on the gardens, expecting to see a dejected Mabel making her way off the grounds.

But that's not what she saw.

Mabel was there, of course, but she wasn't leaving. Instead, the brunette was sitting on a bench in the middle of the front yard, with her back to Pacifica. She was doing something with her hands, but Pacifica couldn't tell what it was.

The blonde was shocked. Why was she still there? What was she waiting for? What does she want? It didn't make sense. Mabel _had_ to hate her by now. She had every right to. Everything Pacifica did seemed to drive Mabel away.

So why?

Pacifica couldn't understand it.

But, at the same time, leaning against the railing of her balcony, Pacifica couldn't help but smile. Every time she felt like giving up, Mabel gave her another reason to fight. Even now, after Pacifica told her never to come back, Mabel still sat there, waiting for another chance to be friends. Always kind, always forgiving, always hopeful. Mabel never gave up on her friends. Seeing her there, Pacifica immediately regret what she did to Mabel's precious gift.

But Pacifica didn't have time to give that another thought. In the cold of the night, there was a strange warmth on her back, and an unusual smell in the air.

Smoke.

Pacifica whirled around to see half her room on fire. Shelves full of books burned and fell. Furniture caught fire as ashes and sparks fell on the carpet and spread. And, worst of all, Pacifica's only escape route, the only door to her room, was blocked by the flames.

Pacifica was trapped.

The blonde let out a shriek as panic set in. There was no way out. Obviously, she couldn't take the door without being burned, but she also couldn't jump off the balcony without risking an injury just as bad. The girl began to hyperventilate, and, in the smoke-filled air, she was barely breathing at all.

It wasn't long before Pacifica passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter took longer than I wanted to get it posted so sorry about that. I've had it written for a few days but haven't had the chance to polish it before I put it up. One more chapter after this. Enjoy!**

Pacifica woke up confused. Around her, everything was white, and the harsh lighting seemed unnaturally bright. For a moment, Pacifica was convinced she was dead, until she heard the beeping of the medical equipment next to her bed. She was in a hospital, still wearing her clothes from earlier, though they were a bit dirty. Still dazed, Pacifica slowly sat up, trying to take stock of the situation.

"Hey, finally woke up, I see." Pacifica jumped a little, not expecting to hear someone else in the room, and turned in the direction of the voice. Wendy and Dipper were sitting in uncomfortable-looking chairs by the window to her left. Dipper was asleep, and Wendy looked as if she had just woken up. Seeing that it was still dark outside, Pacifica figured it must be the early hours of the morning, explaining why her visitors had been sleeping.

"You had everyone scared for a second," Wendy continued, as she stretched in her chair. "Everyone in Northwest Manor thought you were still in your room when the fire started. Your parents were flipping out, until the paramedics explained you were safe, albeit in an ambulance." The blonde stared blanking at Wendy, still trying to remember what had happened.

Then, all at once, everything started to come back to her. Wanting Mabel to leave, burning the sweater, seeing Mabel in the garden, panicking in the fire.

The fire.

Pacifica looked down at herself, expecting to be burned, or have some sort of horrific scar somewhere on her body, but she stopped when Wendy started laughing. "Don't worry. You didn't get hurt too badly. Just a few scrapes. You'll live. The doctors just wanted to check you out since you passed out before the firemen arrived."

No longer confused, Pacifica found her voice. "What happened, exactly? Where are my parents? Where's…" Pacifica's voice trailed off.

"Mabel?" asked Wendy. Pacifica stiffened. "That's what you wanted to ask, right? Where's Mabel?"

Pacifica hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"Well," Wendy began, leaning back in her chair. "I didn't see anything. Dipper and I showed up after the fact. But based on what Mabel and the first responders told us, it went something like this:

* * *

Mabel sat anxiously in the foyer of Northwest Manor. She was still mumbling to herself, "Just one more chance, just one more chance, please…" Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the maid walking back down the stairs to address her. But, as the maid approached, Mabel could see it was going to be bad news. Servants in Northwest Manor almost always had a perfect poker face, but this time, as she descended the stairs, the maid was clearly distressed. The reason became perfectly clear as soon as she spoke. "The Mistress…she…wishes for you to leave the Manor. And…she would like for you to not return. She forbids you from speaking to her again. I'm very sorry."

The words stung, but Mabel couldn't say she didn't see it coming. She had a back-up plan. "If you don't mind, could I maybe just hang out in the garden for a bit? A lot happened earlier, so I get that Pacifica's mad at me. Could I just wait for, like, twenty minutes in case she changes her mind? Please?"

Mabel had been prepared to really beg for this, but, to her surprise, the maid readily agreed. "Please do so. I can't say I understand what's been going on with the Mistress lately, but if you think you can help, we at the Manor, including her parents, would greatly appreciate it. We've all been very worried about her recently, but no one is sure what to do. If you know any way to help, I speak for everyone when I say you are free to do so."

Mabel nodded, and, as she walked out to the gardens in the front yard, she couldn't help but smile. Dipper had said something very similar to her earlier that day, and, just like Dipper, Mabel was determined to do everything she could.

Mabel knew exactly which room in the massive mansion was Pacifica's, so she made a point to find a place to wait that was clearly visible from the blonde's room. Mabel found a good spot on a bench near the center of the garden, sat down, and got to work. The girl was ready to wait a lot longer than twenty minutes. She was prepared to wait all night if she had to. After all, Mabel's apology sweater was going to take a while to make.

The brunette envisioned a massive sweater, big enough to cover two people, from head to toe, and still have room to spare. It would be a rainbow of colors, with stripes of green, blue, pink, and any other colors Mabel had in her backpack full of knitting supplies. Then, right in the center, there would be a big, red heart, with "P+M" knitted in the middle. Mabel smiled as she worked, lost in her own little world, happily thinking about what she and Pacifica would look like huddled together in the sweater.

Her pleasant thoughts, however, were interrupted by a scream coming from behind her. Whirling around to see what had happened, Mabel was shocked to see Pacifica's room going up in flames. The relief Mabel felt seeing Pacifica on the balcony, away from the fire, dissipated quickly when she realized that the blonde wasn't moving. Pacifica simply stood on the balcony. Mabel shouted at her, trying to get her attention, but Pacifica didn't seem to hear her.

Smoke began to pour out onto the balcony, and it soon surrounded Pacifica. Mabel continued to shout as she became increasingly worried about her friend, when, suddenly, Pacifica collapsed.

Mabel's heart stopped.

For a moment, she thought she had lost Pacifica forever. Until she remembered. Her backpack.

Digging through all the yarn and knitting needles, Mabel found what she was looking for. At the bottom of the bag sat her grappling hook. Ever since it had helped save her and Dipper from Gideon's giant robot, Mabel made sure to keep it in her backpack, in case something happened.

Running over to Pacifica's balcony, Mabel latched the grappling hook to the railing and climbed her way up the rope. In the distance, firetrucks and ambulances could be heard making their way to the mansion, quick to respond to the manor's fire alarm. But, in the growing flame, there was little chance they would make it to Pacifica before the fire did. Once on the balcony, Mabel fought her way through the smoke and grabbed Pacifica.

"Pacifica! Hey, Pacifica! Can you hear me?"

Mabel tried to shake Pacifica awake, but to no avail. She was, however, still breathing, and Mabel was relieved to see that she had just fainted and didn't seem to be seriously hurt. Adrenaline pumping, Mabel easily managed to pick up Pacifica and swiftly make her way back to her rope. But, as she began her descent, the hook slipped off the railing, and Mabel and Pacifica were left free-falling back to the earth.

Mabel managed to turn in the air enough to break Pacifica's fall with her own body. Too worried to feel pain, Mabel, once again, immediately looked over Pacifica to ensure that she had not been hurt. As the paramedics began to arrive, Mabel demanded that they check Pacifica, asking, "She's okay, right? She'll be okay, right?"

The paramedics assured Mabel that Pacifica would be fine, then immediately took both girls to the hospital.

* * *

"And that's where we are now," concluded Wendy, as Dipper began to stir. "Dipper and I came straight here when we heard about the fire."

Pacifica's worries still weren't satisfied. "But how did the fire start? And what about my parents?"

"The firemen said it started with your fireplace. They think you must've accidently added too much wood or something. The flame got bigger than what would normally be considered safe. When you opened the door to the balcony, the wind might've blown the fire over to your bookshelf, and managed to ignite some of those old books. And the rest is history. As for your parents, they got out fine. Nobody got hurt too badly, and the firemen managed to keep the flame from spreading out of your bedroom. Right now, they're in Mabel's room. They wanted to thank her for saving you."

"How…um…how is Mabel?"

Wendy hesitated for a second, knowing that Pacifica wouldn't like the answer. "She broke her right arm. Plus a couple cracked ribs and a minor concussion. Falling from the balcony really did a number on her. But she's a tough girl. She'll be fine. Besides, I think she was more concerned about you."

Pacifica's heart dropped. Mabel was in the hospital and it was her fault. She had tried to burn Mabel's sweater, then she ended up hurting Mabel. All while Pacifica walked away with nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. It wasn't fair to Mabel. Pacifica needed to apologize as soon as she could. Her parents were still with Mabel, so maybe if she made her way to the brunette's room now, she could say sorry without having to talk about anything too…emotional.

"Where's – "

Before Pacifica could ask where Mabel's room was, the door to her own room opened. Pacifica's parents, along with a young doctor, entered the room. Seeing that the girl was now awake, Pacifica's mother, Priscilla, hurried to her daughter's side and embraced her. "Pacifica! Oh, thank God, you're awake! We were so worried!"

While her mother fawned over her, and the blonde reassured her that she was alright, Pacifica's father, Preston, turned to Dipper. "We can't thank you enough. Without your sister, we might have lost our daughter. Is there anything we can offer you as thanks?"

Dipper shook his head. "I didn't do anything. Like you said, this was all Mabel. You should ask her. I'm sure she'll think of something. She can get pretty creative."

Preston sighed, much to Dipper's confusion. "We already did. But she won't accept anything. So I figured I'd ask if you wanted something in her place. What is with you Pines' kids? Your great-uncle seems to only think about money, no offense, yet you two refuse it."

Dipper, ignoring the comment about Stan since it was true, was shocked. "Really? She didn't ask for _anything_?"

Preston thought for a moment. "Well, I supposed there was one thing."

Priscilla, overhearing their conversation, reached into her purse. Pulling out a small slip of paper, she handed it to Pacifica. "Mabel said that the only thing she wanted was for you to come by her room when you had the chance. I wrote down her room number for you so you could visit whenever you wanted."

Pacifica stared at the paper. The number "618" was scribbled onto it. Room 618. That's where Mabel was. Not sure what to say, Pacifica slowly nodded. Now, rather than just formulate an apology, Pacifica also had to think of a way to apologize and escape Mabel's room before the conversation became too uncomfortable to bear.

Dipper and Wendy exchanged a glance, then rose from their seats. "Well," said Wendy. "Now that we know everyone's okay, Dipper and I are gonna stop by Mabel's room one last time, then head home. Make sure to come hang out at the Shack again once you're out of here, Pacifica." And with that, the duo left the room.

Turning to the doctor, Preston asked, "When do you think she'll be able to be discharged?"

Looking down at his chart, the doctor responded, "Well, it seems that there are no serious injuries, and her fainting was more from shock than smoke inhalation. I'd say she'll be able to head home first thing in the morning. There's some paperwork you'll need to take care of, but that will only take a moment and, if you'd like, you can fill that out now. Other than that, she'll be ready to head home as soon as she'd like."

Turning to Pacifica, he continued. "That friend of yours is pretty bold, running into the fire like that. You really must mean a lot to her. All she's been asking us is if you're ok." Laughing a little, he added, "She's been saying that she won't even go to sleep until she heard you woke up. Be sure to pay her a visit before you leave tomorrow."

Pacifica nodded, still lost in thought.

She could barely hear her father as he left with the doctor and Priscilla. "We're going to fill out the paperwork. Then we have to deal with the house and the insurance company. Be sure to get some rest, Pacifica, then call the limo in the morning. Goodnight!"

As the rest of her visitors left, shutting the light off as they went, Pacifica sat in the dark, continuing to stare at the small slip of paper in her hand. After a few more moments, she quietly set the slip on the table beside her bed, laid back down, and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here it is. The final chapter. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, once again, thank you. If not, you made it this far, so I guess the joke is on you ¯\** _(ツ)_/¯ **Anyway, here's the ending. Enjoy!**

Mabel rolled over in her bed. The light shining in through the hospital windows was making it hard to sleep. It was easily past noon, based on how bright it was outside, but Mabel had stayed awake well into the night, waiting for news from Pacifica. It wasn't until Wendy and Dipper came into her room at around 4 in the morning to report that Pacifica had woken up and wasn't injured that Mabel finally allowed herself to be overcome by sleep. On top of that, yesterday had been one of the most exhausting adventures of her life, both physically and emotionally. She was completely drained, and would have liked to stay in bed all day if she could.

But as she rolled over to her right, the brunette felt a surge of pain shoot down her arm. Confused and in pain, Mabel shot upright in bed and immediately looked down at her arm to investigate the source of the pain. And she saw the cast wrapped around her arm. Sighing, Mabel mumbled to herself, "Right. Broken arm. Gotta be careful of that." Then she flopped back down into her pillow.

"Uh…M-Mabel? Are you awake?"

Mabel shot upright once more at the sound of the voice. Looking over to her bedside, Mabel saw Pacifica sitting to her left, looking confused. Pacifica had entered the room a few hours ago. The blonde had pulled a chair up right next to Mabel's bedside, and had been quietly looking down at her hands, trying to think of things to say for when Mabel woke up. Mabel nearly gave the girl a heart attack when she suddenly jolted up in bed, only to lay back down as if nothing had happened.

Surprised by Pacifica's presence, Mabel was briefly rendered speechless, so Pacifica took the opportunity to speak. "I…uh…I wanted to…um…" The blonde struggled to find the words. After all, looking back on everything that happened, what was she supposed to say? And how was she supposed to say it? Even after spending all morning trying to come up with something, she still couldn't find the words she was looking for.

Taking a deep breathe, Pacifica collected herself, and, instead of thinking, she let her feelings flow naturally. "Thank you, Mabel," Pacifica began. "Not just for saving me. For everything. All the fun times we've had. All the memories we've shared. Meeting you has changed my life in the best possible way, and I wouldn't be who I am or have the friends I've made without you. You are, without a doubt, the single greatest thing to ever come into my life, and I don't know what I'd do without you." Pacifica paused for a moment, careful to keep her emotions in check. "Which is why, if I'm ever in danger again, don't come save me. It's not fair to you. I nearly burn down my own house, but I walk away without a scratch. Meanwhile, you had to endure all this pain for my sake. I don't want that to ever happen again. I don't want you to have to go through all this because of me."

Silence.

Both girls remained quiet for several moments. Mabel, on one hand, was trying to take in everything her friend had said. Pacifica, on the other, was hesitating. There was one thing left for her to say, but it scared her that she had to say it. Yet she had already come so far. This may be her last chance. She had to see it through.

"And," said Pacifica, quietly. "And I love you. From the bottom of my heart, I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do to be by your side. So please." Pacifica began to lose her composure. Tears formed in the blonde's eyes. "Please, never hurt yourself for me. Never get hurt because of me. Never do something so recklessly stupid like running into a fire for me. I don't want to see you hurt. I don't want to see you in pain. I love your energy. I love your innocence. I love your smile. I love…YOU. A-And…" Pacifica couldn't hold back anymore. But as she cried, she pressed on, determined to set all her emotions free. "I know y-you probably don't f-feel the s-same way, but th-that's fine. Just p-please. Even if y-you never see m-me the same w-way again, n-never stop b-being my f-friend."

Pacifica had said her peace. Even if she hadn't, she was no longer in any condition to continue talking. The blonde completely broke down sobbing, lowering her head, wanting to hide from the girl she had just confessed to, yet unable to run away. She had done it. All her feelings that had been welling up inside her had been released. There was nothing more for her to say. All she could do now was wait for Mabel's reply. The brunette had been sitting patiently, waiting for Pacifica to finish, wearing an expression that was difficult to read. A few moments passed before Mabel gave her response.

"That's dumb."

Pacifica didn't bother to look up. There was no reason to look. There was no reason to move. She had poured out her heart and soul. There was nothing left. So she just continued to cry.

Until she felt Mabel's hand on hers.

The blonde looked up to see Mabel smiling at her. "That's dumb," she repeated. "No matter what happens, I won't ever abandon you. You're safe and that's all that matters to me. Besides," Mabel lifted her right arm. "This is nothing. I deserved it anyway." Pacifica wiped her tears with her sleeve as Mabel continued, "At the theatre. I ran away. I was being selfish. I'm sorry."

"No, no! You don't have to apologize!" replied Pacifica. "I was the one who said…that…so unexpectedly, so…" Pacifica's voice trailed off, and, once again, the girls were left in silence for a few moments, until Pacifica spoke up again. "The llama sweater…I burned it. That's how the fire started. You took the time to make it for me and I destroyed it." Tears once again started to well up in the girl's eyes.

But, to Pacifica's surprise, Mabel wasn't mad. Instead, the brunette smirked. Looking around the room for a moment, Mabel saw what she was looking for. Pointing at her backpack in the corner of the room, Mabel said, "Would you mind grabbing that and bringing over here?" Pacifica nodded. As the blonde walked over to the backpack, Mabel added, "Don't worry about the sweater. I have a surprise for you."

Pacifica sat back down, the backpack on her lap, and looked at Mabel, confused. "Open it," said the brunette. Pacifica obeyed and saw what looked like a big ball of red yarn. Pulling it out of the bag, Pacifica watched as the ball unfolded into a large red heart, about a foot and a half wide. Right in the center, in purple and green, the letters "P+M" were knitted on. Pacifica stared at it, not sure what to say or how to react.

"It's not finished yet," said Mabel. "But that's gonna be the centerpiece to our giant sweater. It might take me a bit longer to make than I had hoped, now that my arm is hurt, but, once it's done, it'll be the mother of all sweaters! And it'll be all for us."

"Mabel, this…is this…does this mean…?"

"That's not the surprise," interrupted Mabel, before Pacifica could stammer out her sentence. Lowering the heart, Pacifica turned to Mabel to ask what she meant, but her lips were sealed before she could say a word.

Mabel had leaned over and kissed surprised blonde.

Pacifica was confused for a moment, before closing her eyes and deepening the kiss. In that moment, everything else melted away. In that moment, all that mattered was the two of them. Pacifica's mind went blank, and her body felt warm. This was happiness. This was bliss. This was everything she had wanted. And it was finally hers. Her dream had come true.

After a few moments, the girls pulled away from each other. "I love you, too, Pacifica," said Mabel. "That's why I won't ever leave you again. That's why I will always be there whenever you need me. I want to protect you, no matter what it takes. And I never want to see you cry again."

Once Mabel finished talking, Pacifica immediately pounced on her, pulling her into a hug. There was nothing she had desired more that to hear Mabel say those words. "Ow, ow, ow! Ribs! Arm! Pain!" yelped Mabel, as Pacifica squeezed her. Pacifica jumped back. "Oh, right! Sorry, sorry! Are you alright?" Even as Pacifica said this, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting that," laughed Mabel. "But, more importantly, the doctors said I should be free to go by tomorrow afternoon. So, how about we go see a movie? I don't know about you, but I wasn't paying much attention to that movie last night."

Pacifica nodded happily. "Oh, but I'll have to figure out what to wear."

"Doesn't matter," replied Mabel. "I'm sure you'll be beautiful no matter what you put on."

Pacifica's face turned bright red, and Mabel burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! Your face! Your face is so red!"

Pacifica pouted and playfully punched Mabel on the shoulder. "Knock it off. That's not even a compliment. It's a fact. You're just jealous."

Mabel put her hands on her hips, as best she could with her arm, and smirked. "Fine. Then I'll just have to make myself look super adorable. Then we'll see who's jealous."

"Oh, you're on."

The girls went on like that, teasing each other and laughing. All their troubles faded away, and yesterday seemed like a distant memory. It was like a weight had been lifted, and both girls had never been happier. It felt like nothing it the world would ever stand between them. Now that they were together, they would never be apart.

And they both had the feeling like this might turn out to be the best summer ever.


End file.
